Faculty and Staff Profile

Abigail Stephan

Educational Background

Ph.D. Learning Sciences (Concentration: Human Development Across the Lifespan)
Department of Education & Human Development Clemson University 2022

Courses Taught

Child Growth & Development
Healthy Aging (Creative Inquiry)

Profile

Dr. Abigail (Abby) Stephan is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and an affiliated faculty member at the Institute for Engaged Aging. Her research a) explores the influence of intergenerational relationships in family, community, and educational contexts on learning, development, and well-being across the lifespan and b) examines social and psychological factors that promote healthy aging. In addition to taking an ecological, systems-oriented perspective, her work often employs a mixed methods design and is interdisciplinary, drawing from gerontology and aging studies, family and community science, developmental psychology, youth development, education, anthropology, and sociology. She earned her Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) credential to further the translation of research to applied settings. Beyond research, Dr. Stephan is committed to advancing the development, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based educational opportunities that support learners across the lifespan. Two primary avenues for this work include a) creating resources and fostering mentorship opportunities to ensure high-quality training exists for current and future professionals in the field of gerontology and b) promoting lifelong learning through engaging and fulfilling learning experiences for older adults. Dr. Stephan is a member of two active research labs at Clemson: the Study of Healthy Aging and Applied Research Programs (SHAARP) Lab and the Contexts of Learning and Development (CLAD) Lab. She is also a Faculty Scholar with the Clemson University School of Health Research.

Research Interests

Human Development Across the Lifespan
Intergenerational Relationships
Grandparenting
Grandfamilies and Grandparent Caregivers
Familial Influences on Learning and Development
Intergenerational Learning Experiences
Informal Learning Environments
Self-Directed Learning
Lifelong Learning
Intergenerational Teams in the Workplace
Healthy Aging
Socio-Contextual Factors Influencing Health and Well-Being
Qualitative Research Methods
Mixed Methods Research

Research Publications

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications:

Ross, L. A., Fine, C., Stephan, A. T., Chai, H. W., McVey, A., Phillips, C. B., ... & Visscher, K. (2025). The Everyday Function Intervention Trial (EFIT) protocol: A randomized clinical trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 152, 107829. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2025.107829

Jang, H., Stephan, A. T., Ross, L. A., Jeong, M., & Mogle, J. (2024). Family relationship quality and psychological and cognitive health among grandparent caregivers: The moderating role of co-residence with adult children. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 42(3), 794-817. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075241307976

Phillips, C. B., *McVey, A., Sprague, B., *Cooper, K., Stephan, A. T., & Ross, L. A. (2024). Predictive utility of four instrumental activities of daily living assessments and cognitive status changes among cognitively in-tact older adults. Journal of Aging and Health. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/08982643241297193

Stephan, A. T., Chai, H., *McVey, A., Sprague, B. N., *Wolf, A. V., Phillips, C. B., & Ross, L. A. (2024). Differential longitudinal associations between depressive symptoms and cognitive status by living situation in older adults. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 44(4), 651-659. https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648241285602

Stephan, A. T., **Martinez, V., **Moss, D., **Walton, A., **Bonetto, J., **Hertzfeld, A., **Thomas, M., **Roebuck, S., **Davis, W. B., **Pollock, M., **Lynch, S., **Steele, T., *Cooper, K., *McVey, A., Phillips, C. B., & Ross, L. A. (2024). Undergraduate students engaging in hands-on gerontology research: A participatory case study of value gained and lessons learned. Gerontology & Geriatrics Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701960.2024.2395995

Stephan, A. T., *McVey, A., **Steele, T., *Cooper, K., Phillips, C. B., & Ross, L. A. (2024). Older adults’ perceptions of cognitive, physical, and exergame training: A mixed methods investigation of a four-armed randomized controlled pilot trial. Games for Health Journal, 13(6), 459-465. https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2023.0208

Jamil, F., Stephan, A., & Bennett, A. (2024). Exploring longitudinal associations between teacher expectancy effects and reading achievement among a U.S. nationally representative sample of K-8 students. The Elementary School Journal, 125(1), 52-76. https://doi.org/10.1086/731256

Stephan, A. T. (2024). “Nobody else could tell those stories”: Exploring recollections of grandparental intergenerational narratives in early adulthood. Marriage and Family Review, 60(5), 273-294. https://doi.org/10.1080/01494929.2024.2369084

Stephan, A. T., & McKown, G. L. (2024). Intergenerational connections: Skipped generation family contact during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Personal Relationships, 31(3), 695-713. https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12549

Phillips, C., *McVey, A., Tian, J., Stephan, A., **Davis, W. B., Aflagah, E. L., & Ross, L. A. (2023). Feasibility of a pilot dyadic randomized controlled trial testing the effects of three behavioral interventions on older adults’ cognitive, physical and everyday function. Frontiers in Aging, 4(1166338). https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fragi.2023.1166338/full

Stephan, A. T., *Hochstetter, N. D., *Clark, V. E., & Jamil, F. M. (2023). From supportive to strained: A mixed methods exploration of emerging adults’ characterizations of past and present grandparent-grandchild roles and relationships. Emerging Adulthood, 11(4), 933-946. https://doi.org/10.1177/21676968231171738

Stephan, A. (2023). How grandparents inform our lives: A mixed methods investigation of intergenerational influence on young adults. Journal of Adult Development, 31, 40-52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-023-09446-7

Stephan, A. (2023). Grandparent caregiver wellbeing: A strengths-based approach utilizing the Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment (PERMA) framework. Journal of Family Issues, 44(5), 1400-1418. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X211058818

Jamil, F., Emerson, A., McKown, G., & Stephan, A. (2022). The struggle is real: An investigation of preschool teachers’ perceptions of students’ challenging behaviors through reflective writing. Early Childhood Education Journal, 50, 1395-1405. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01267-1.

Freed, S., Sprague, B. N., Stephan, A., Tian, J., Phillips, C. B., Doyle, C., & Ross, L. A. (2021). Feasibility and enjoyment of exercise video games in older adults for social connectedness. Frontiers in Public Health: Aging and Public Health, 9, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.751289.

Stephan, A. (2021). Intergenerational learning in the family as an informal learning process: A review of the literature. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 19(4), 441-458. https://doi.org/10.1080/15350770.2020.1817830.


Practitioner-Focused Publications:

Stephan, A., & Aviles, J. (2024). Play for All Ages: The Benefits of Intergenerational Recreational Physical Activity. The National Council on Aging. https://www.ncoa.org/article/play-for-all-ages-the-benefits-of-intergenerational-recreational-physical-activity/

**Moss, D., Stephan, A., Phillips, C., & Stewart, C. (2024). Scams and Online Deception: How to Protect Yourself and the Younger Adults in Your Life. The National Council on Aging. https://www.ncoa.org/article/scams-and-online-deception-how-to-protect-yourself-and-the-younger-adults-in-your-life

Stephan, A. (2023). An unrecognized care: Grandparents’ contributions within and outside of the family. International Federation for Family Development (IFFD) Papers, Article 129. https://familyperspective.org/2023/03/28/129-grandparents-contributions-within-and-outside-of-the-family/

*Graduate student co-author, **Undergraduate student co-author


Selected Current Projects
Contact me if you'd like to learn more or get involved in any of these projects.

Intergenerational Family Processes around Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders in
Rural Communities
Sponsor: Johns Hopkins Alzheimer's Disease Resource Center for Minority Aging Research
Role: Principal Investigator
Dates: Spring 2025-Fall 2025

Detecting Cognitive Decline in Context: The Role of Everyday Functioning and Perceptions around Health-Tracking Technologies
Sponsor: Institute for Engaged Aging and the South Carolina Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s SPARK Grant Program
Role: Principal Investigator
Dates: Spring 2025-Summer 2025

Biopsychosocial-environmental Factors and Cognitive Function in Mid to Later Life: Translating Findings to Clinical Practice
Sponsor: Prisma Health Education & Research Institute Seed Grant Program
Role: Co-Investigator
Dates: Spring 2025-Summer 2026

Investigating the Everyday Health Experiences of Grandparent Caregivers in South Carolina
Sponsor: CU Faculty SUCCEEDS Program #1
Role: Principal Investigator
Dates: Spring 2025-Spring 2026

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